Lentil Heaven.

Plant-based meals continue to grow in popularity, and that makes doctors happy and us healthier. Lentils are in the legume family along with beans, chickpeas, fresh peas, sugar snap peas and snow peas. Lentils have a high level of protein and a low level of fat, and they come in many colors, textures, shapes, and sizes. Historians think that lentils were consumed by humans as long ago as 8000 BC. Today’s lentils are grown mostly in Canada and India.

Where to find good lentils:

Lentils are sold in most supermarkets either dried and in bags, or canned. Those will not be the freshest lentils, however, so they won’t be the tastiest. Supermarket lentils can also be a mix of older and younger lentils which can make cooking them uneven. To find the freshest lentils and the most varieties, try your local health food store, or a Middle Eastern or South Asian market if you have one nearby. Mail-order is also a good option like Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans, or North Bay Trading Co. The fresher the lentils the faster they will cook, 20 – 40 minutes. If you want to reduce that cooking time, let them soak for at least 4 hours or even overnight, and you can cut your cooking time in half.

Lentils can stay in your pantry a long time, but not forever. While they will always be edible, they do dry out, get tougher and lose flavor if kept for more than 6 months.

How to use them:

When I hear about lentils, I think only of lentil soup. Lentils have other talents, however, so I’ve included recipes that use lentils in other ways.

Photo from festingathome.com

Simple Braised French Lentils

This is a basic lentil side dish preparation for pairing with many entrees. Its versatility allows for leftover uses for the rest of the week. Add it to salads, soups, stews, or serve it as is with a dollop of sour cream or grated cheese on top.

Black beluga lentils are thick-skinned, tiny, and chewy and make great side-dishes. Bon Appetit offers this Soy-Braised Black Lentils recipe that can be served over rice or by itself.

How delicious does this Bon Appetit recipe for Spiced Black Lentils with Yogurt and Mint look! The lentils can be cooked 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

Roast Squash with Marinated Lentils from the Food Network is a quick and easy recipe that can be served warm or at room temperature. You can use canned lentils or fresh that you have soaked. Try to choose a great color of lentils to contrast with the roast butternut squash and goat cheese.

Photo credit: cookwithmanal

Dal Makhani is one of the most popular dishes in India. It can be served as a thick, one course meal with rice, or as a soup with naan bread. It is not a difficult recipe, but it is time intensive. You will need an instant pot. This recipe is from the Cooking With Manal! website and it looks delicious.

This is a classic lentil soup recipe. You can use red, green, brown, or yellow lentils. Homemade Lentil Soup by Chef Billy Parisi. I find that lentil soups freeze very well.

I always keep these seasoned, toasted seaweed sheets on hand. My children like to eat them as snacks, but I use them as extra garnish over the top of salads, soups, and vegetable side dishes like the soy-braised black lentils recipe above. $5.39 for 6 packages.